I Bought a Mountain

Written on the eve of the Second World War, this memoir tells the remarkable story of how 21-year-old Thomas Firbank decided on impulse to purchase a 2,400 acre hill farm in the rugged, inhospitable mountains of Snowdonia, and how he nd his wife struggled to build it back to prosperity. I bought a mountain is a thrilling human tale of tregedy and triumph, as well as a portrait of a lost era when farming was a communal endeavour, offering precious insights into conservation and sustainability relevant for today.

Thomas Firbank (1910-2000) was a Canadian/Welsh author, farmer, soldier and engineer. He enlisted during the Second World War and was awarded a Military Cross. After his marriage to Esme Cummins ended, he gave her the Dyffryn farm. He only returned to Snowdonia in 1993 after a spell living in the Far East, and died in Llarnwst, North Wales.